Article 10.5 - Sign Types

Sign types are defined as follows:

.1 Attached Wall Mounted Signs

One or a combination of the wall sign types below may be used on a building. Wall sign area is the total of the square footage of all wall signs associated with a business or structure. All attached wall mounted signs in all districts must be located below the parapet, and in no instance may a sign extend above the parapet. Any attached wall mounted signs that project more than 18” shall have a ground clearance of 8’.

All signage (wall, hanging/blade, awning/canopy, and/or marquee signs) and each of the sign faces that is directed or oriented towards a single elevation will be accumulated and counted towards that elevation (i.e. if the text of the signs are seen and directed towards the front of the building, then that signage will be counted towards the total amount allowed (per district) for that individual front). In no instance shall the accumulated amount of signage exceed the maximum allowable square footage per that district as indicated in Section 10.7.1, except as permitted in Section 10.11.

a) A flush wall sign is mounted or applied directly to the building wall, generally on the fascia. A flush wall sign may project no more than 3 feet from the building wall and over a sidewalk in a town maintained right-of-way.

b) A hanging sign or blade sign is a wall sign. A hanging sign is suspended from a simple bracket attached to a building wall and requires 8 or more feet of vertical clearance from the ground. It is most appropriately used along pedestrian-oriented streets to identify attached or closely spaced shops, restaurants, and service businesses. Only one hanging or blade sign is permitted per building or business bay (in a multi-tenant building). The sign face area does not include the area of the bracket. A hanging or blade sign may project no more than 4 feet from the building wall. It may project up to 3 feet over a sidewalk in a town maintained right-of-way. The overall area of a hanging or blade sign can be no more than 8 square feet.

c) A marquee sign is a wall sign. A marquee sign is only allowed in the commercial districts and the minimum building size is 15,000 square feet. The marquee sign may project no more than 4 feet from the building wall. It may project up to 3 feet over a sidewalk in a town maintained right-of-way. Only one hanging/blade or marquee sign is permitted per street front. A marquee sign must be located a minimum 20’ from any corner of a building, and requires 8 or more feet of vertical clearance from the ground and/or sidewalk. The overall area of a marquee sign can be no more than 32 square feet.

d) A canopy or awning sign is a wall sign. A canopy or awning sign is sign copy applied directly onto a canopy or awning and shall comply with Section 8.26. All canopy or awning area that is internally lit shall be counted as sign face area. External wall packs and floodlights shall not be used to light canopies or awnings.

.2 Detached Ground Mounted Signs

Ground mounted signs are defined as follows:

a) A monument sign is mounted generally flush with the ground plane. It may not be mounted on a pole or pylon, nor raised by mounting on a man-made berm, wall, or similar structure. Supporting elements (including bases) may not exceed three feet in height and are included in measurement of sign height. Supporting elements (including bases) shall be constructed with materials that are architecturally compatible with the principle structure.

b) A raised sign may hang from a pole and beam frame as illustrated below, or be placed within a frame mounted on up to two supporting poles.

c) All ground-mounted signs shall be a minimum of 5’ behind the existing and future public right of way and meet any additional setback required to maintain a clear sight triangle at street or driveway intersections. Extreme site conditions may be considered by the administrator in determining setbacks for future right-of-ways.

.3 Sidewalk Signs:

Sidewalk signs are double-sided, portable signs, that are not secured to the ground, used as a temporary marketing tool for attracting passersby to a commercial establishment.